Signal



' Sept. 20, 1932.

B. ELIGGI ETAL S-I'GNAL Filed March 7, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet IN VEN TORS,

ELIEGI LDRENZI E. L. B

A TTORNEY Sgpt. 20, 1932. -5 1 ET AL 1,378,122

SIGNAL Filed March 7, 1928 5 Sheets-Shet 2 Patented Sept. 20, 1932 umrsb STATES PATENT OFFICE BARTOLEMEO ELIGGI'AND LUIGI LORENZI, OF S AN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA' SIGNAL Application filed March 7, 1928. Serial No. 259,756.

to provide means which will be readily visible from all directions.

A further object is to provide a slgnal which may be attached to both the front and rear of an automobile.

A still further object is to provide a device which is simple, economical to manufacture, neat and one which will not detract fromthe appearance of the motor vehicle upon which it is placed.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure I is a side elevation of our signal and attaching bracket,

Figure II is a cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure I,

Figure III is a bottom plan view of Figure Figure IV is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view of the signal operating means,

Figure V is a cross-section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure IV,

Figure VI is a top plan view of the signal bracket showing the contact arrangement.

Figure VII is a cross-section taken on the line 7 7 of Figure IV,

Figure VIII is a fragmentary side eleva tion of a steering column having our control valve attached thereto,

Figure IX is a side elevation of the control valve, with the control lever removed,

Figure X is a bottom plan view of the control lever,

Figure XI is a rear elevation of our signal.

Many forms of automobile signaling devices have been placed upon the market which are mechanically,electricallyor otherwise operated. These devices in most instances required complicated mechanism and applicants have therefore provided means which will perform all of the objects set forth, which means will be simple tooperate. In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of our invention, the numeral 5 designates a clamp which is an adapted tobe attached to any portion of the vehicle to which it is desired to attach the signal. This clamp supports one end of a goose neck arm 6 having a joint 7 which is locked by means of a screw 8. This permits W the head 9 of the goose neck to be adjusted in accordance with the desires of the user. Carried upon the head 9 is a housing 11 having a cover 12, which cover is sealed to the housing by means of a ring 13. The housingand cover have a division wall 14, which wall causes two chambers tobe formed therein, one of which chambers is designated by tle numeral 16 and the other by the numeral 1 i A piston 18 is housed inthe chamber 16, which piston is formed by screwing a flex ible member about a shaft 19 to which the same is secured, and compressing the ends between plates 21 and 22;

Itis obvious that'any form of piston might be employed in order to drive the shaft 19. At 23 and 24 we have shown ports which are connected to pipes 26 and 27, respectively,

which pipes extend through the goose neck 6 and are in turn connected to pipes 28 and 29,

respectively, of the control valve to be herein described.-

Mounted upon the cover 12 is an upstanding flange 31 carrying an insulating ring 32. This ring. has the contact 33 supported thereon, which contact carries arms 34 and 36. 7 Supported between the arms 34 and 36 as by an insulating portion 37 is a second contact 38. These contacts are adapted to be engaged by the nose 3 9 of a contact ring 41 This ring 41 is carried upon an insulating member'42, rotatably secured upon the shaft 19 as by a screw 43 and adapted to be contacted by a pin 44 carried in a lamp socket 46 upon the semaphore housing 47. This housing is looked upon the shaft 19 as by a nut 48 and lock washer 49.

The semaphore is preferably formed so as to conform to the shape of a hand and is provided with windows 51 and 52 which are adapted to be illuminated by a bulb 53 carried in the socket 46.

A reflector 54 reflects a portion of the light from the bulb 53 through a lense 56 which carries the usual stop letters embossed or otherwise formed thereon.

A downwardly projecting arm 57 secured to the shaft 19, is adapted to lie between the plates 58 and 59. These plates are rotatably supported on the shaft 19 as by rings 61 and 62. A single spring 63 extends between the upturned end of the plate 58 to the upturned end of the plate 59. A stop screw is shown at 64 which screw limits the movement of the plates 58 and 59 in one direction only.

Current is conducted to the contact 33 and contact 38 by wires 66 and 67. The wire leading to the contact 33 goes directly to the positive side of the battery, and is adapted to illuminate the bulb 53 whenever the nose 39 contacts with the arm 34 or the arm 36, while the wire leading to the contact 38 is connected to the stop light or brake switch so that whenever the brake is pressed, current will also be directed to the bulb 53 and thus give the necessary signal.

In order to operate our device, the pipe 68 is connected to the vacuum system of the vehicle. The port arrangement in the control lever is such that vacuum can be used to act upon the pipes 28 or 29 at will by simply moving the control lever to the right or left. As soon as this has been done and assuming that the vacuum is so drawn that it is exerting effort through the port 24, then the piston 19 will move toward the port 24 which will rotate the shaft 19 and consequently the semaphore housing 47. At the same time, the contact 39will engage the contact 34 and illuminate the bulb 53. During this time the downwardly projecting arm 57 will push against the plate 59 and carry it around with it thus stretching the spring 63. As soon as the driver returns the control lever back to normal position, the ports will be so arranged that air can enter into the pipe and through the same to the port 24, thus overcoming the vacuum within the chamber and permitting the spring 63 to return the semaphore to its normal position.

Should the driver throw the lever to the opposite side, the action will be exactly the same, with the exception that the plate 59 will remain stationary while the plate 58 will move around thus stretching the spring 63 so as to produce the re-tracting force.

It will thus be seen that we have provided very simple means which will accomplish all of the objects herein set forth.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes relative to the shape, size, material and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the subj oined claim.

Having thus described our invention, we

claim In a signal, a fixed base, a circular flange mounted on said base, a shaft rotatably mounted on said base member and concentric with respect to said flange, a signal casing rotatably carried on said base member and secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, a circular insulating ring mounted on the inner circumference of said flange, a substantially U-shaped contact member mounted on the inner circumference of said insulating ring, said contact member having diverging resilient arms, a second contact member mounted on said first contact member between said resilient arms insulated from said first mentioned contact, an insulating disc mounted on said shaft adjacent said contacts rotatable therewith, a contact ring carried by said disc, said contact ring having a nose for engagement with said second mentioned contact when said semaphore is in neutral position and for engaging either of said resilient arms when said semaphore is rotated to either the right or left signalling position, said first and said second mentioned contacts being connected to a source of electric current, a'lamp carried by said signal casing one side of said lamp being grounded thereto, said lamp'having a contact engagin said contact ring whereby engagement of said nose with said contacts will create a circuit through said lamp.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures. V

BARTOLOMEO ELIGGI. LUIGI LORENZI. 

